Latch mechanism for vacuum cleaner floor tool parts



D. M. DOW

June 29, 1954 LATCH MECHANISM FOR VACUUM CLEANER FLOOR TOOL PARTS FiledJan. 14, 1950 RM m mDm W 0/ M J 6 AN D W.

A 7 TORNE Y Patented June 29, 1954 LATCH MECHANISM FOR VACUUM CLEANERFLOOR TOOL PARTS.

Dewey M. Dow, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Air-Way Electric ApplianceCorporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application January14, 1950, Serial No. 138,557

6 Claims. .1

This invention relates to floor tools for vacuum cleaners.

Ordinarily, the household vacuum cleaner comes equipped with severalfloor tools, such, for example, as one which is used for the cleaning ofcarpets and rugs, and another for use in cleaning hardwood floors or thelike. Not only are these separate tools relatively heavy to carry fromplace to place, but are relatively expensive. In accordance with thisinvention, these objections are obviated by making the floor tool inseparable parts and enabling these parts to be readily and convenientlydetached to enable one form of base to be readily replaced by another.These floor engaging members or parts are relatively light and can bemuch more conveniently moved from one room to another, and enable thecost of the attachments to be substantially reduced.

An object is to produce a new and improved floor tool made up ofseparable parts which can be readily and conveniently assembled anddisassembled, assembly being made by an automatic snap action anddisassembly rendered possible by application of manual pressure appliedto the outside of the floor tool.

Another object is to produce a floor tool for vacuum cleaners, the bodyof which is made up of two parts separated along the longitudinal plane,a snap action catch being provided internally of the body which enablesthe parts to be secured together by simply pressing the two parts towardeach other, provision being made for simple and convenient disassemblyby pressure applied at predetermined locations for releasing the catchand the same being normally concealed by the usual bumper strip mountedexternally on the floor tool body.

Other objects and advantages reside in details of construction,operation and arrangement hereinafter described, and for purposes ofillustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention isshown on the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan viewof a vacuum cleaner floor tool;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower body parts of thefloor tool;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view substantially on the line 44 ofFigure 2, showing the latch or catch in latching position;

Figure 5 is a sectional View similar to Figure 4, but of the other ofthe latches and showing the same in enlarged position;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the floor tool showing thepressure piece on the bumper strip against which pressure is applied torelease the respective latch; and

Figure '7 is a sectional view on the line 'l-'! of Figure 6. l i

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a floor tool forvacuum cleaners having an upper part It] provided with an integralnozzle portion l I to which the usual wand is attached as will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art. The body part [0, in theform of a hollow shell, has a depending flange I2 of somewhat reducedthickness which fits into a groove l3 in the under body part 14 of thefloor tool. It will be apparent that a groove [5 is formed by thejuncture of these body parts and this groove extends entirely around thefloor tool.

Positioned within the groove is a bumper strip [6 preferably ofrubber-like material and projects outwardly from the adjacent walls ofthe floor tool to protect furniture and woodwork from being scratched ormarred in the operation of the floor tool.

The lower body part M has an integral bottom wall I1 which inclinesupwardly and terminates in a flat annular shoulder l8. The shoulder I8abuts against an annular gasket [9 of rubberlike material which isrecessed or socketed in the under face of the body part Ill. Thisprovides a fluid-tight seal between the two body parts I0 and I4, whichbecomes effective when these parts are connected or are in assembledrelation and enables full suction to be employed in the operation of thefloor tool.

Secured in diametrically opposed relation is a pair of screws 20 whichengage in bosses 24 formed on the body part l4. Each screw 20 has anintegral annular collar 2| and a substantially dome-shaped notched head22, there being a reduced neck 23 between these parts. The upper endportions of each of the screws thus constitute keepers and are adaptedrespectively to enter hollow bosses 24 which depend from and areintegralwith the under side of the body part H). In this instance, the bosses 24are annular and each has a transverse slot 25 at the rear side thereofto enable the latch arms 26 to enter the groove formed by the reducedneck 23 for latching the body parts Iii and [4 together. The inner endof the slot 25 provides a stop or abutment against which the respectivelatch arm 26 abuts, thus limiting the rocking movement of the latch whenthe floor tool parts are separated one from another. It will be apparentthat the end portion of each latch arm enters substantially into theslot 25 when in latching position and. thus militates against damage tothe latch arms in the event of application of force tending to separatethe floor tool parts when the latch arms are in latching position. Eachlatching arm 26 is pivotally mounted on a" screw 21 connected. to adepending boss 28- arranged at the outer side of the respective hollowboss 24.

Integral with the latch arm 26 is an actuating: arm 29 which terminatesin a curvedflanged' end portion 30 disposed adjacent the flange [2 atthe rear side of the body part H3. Although in this instance the flangeend portions 3!!- of the actuating arms are disposed at the rear of thefloor tool, they may be positioned otherwise if desired as, for example,at opposite endsof the floor tool. The latching arms 26 are urged at alltimes to latching position by a spring 31* which has a portion coiledabout the adjacent boss 28 and one end bears against the adjacent hollowboss 21* and the other end is anchored to the. respective actuating arm29'. In the regionof each of the curved flanged end portions or theactuating arms 28 ofthe latches is an aperture 32 which is formed in theflange [2. These apertures-are concealed by the bumper strip I6- andembracing the bumper strip ['5 in the region of these apertures aremetallic bands containing the indicia Press. By simultaneously pressingon both of the bands or pressure pieces 33, both latches can besimultaneously released to enable the-body parts H3 and M to beseparated or disassembled. The sealing gasket 69 places the floor toolparts under some tension and enables the two catches to be releasedconsecutively if desired, since by releasing one of the catches, theresilient action of the sealing. strip or gasket ['9' separates thefloor tool parts sufliciently so that the latching arm 26 for that sidecan not thereupon enter the slot 25 in the respective boss 24,.suflicient separating movement being caused by the: action of theresilient gasket l9;

Assembly can be readily accomplished by mere- 1y pressing the parts H!and i4 togethenthe screw hea'ds exten'ding' into the hollow bosses 24there'- by aligning the pieces properly and the latch arms beingautomatically cammed outwardly due to the: shape of the screw headwhereupon they snap into the neck portions 23. The aligning of the twofloor tool parts caused by'the' registry of theheads of the screws 2!}within the hollow bosses 24; is important in bringing the flanges of thefloor tool'parts into engagement with each other and since these flangesextend entirely around these parts, the pressure exerted during the useof the floor tool is evenly distributed throughout these flanges. Theparts are placed under the desired tension to obviate rattles by theengagement of the shoulder [8 against the rubber-like gasket 19.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction,arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from thespirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1'. A floor tool for a vacuum cleaner comprising a pair of separableparts, one of said parts being a shell, a spring-tensioned latchenclosed within and pivoted to said shell and having a latching arm andan actuating arm, a catch on'the other part for receiving the latchingarm, including means for automatically retracting the latch" when theparts are forced together, a

bumper of flexible material on the outside of said shell, and an openingin said shell in the region of said actuating arm and concealed by saidbumper, said actuating arm having a portion thereof substantially withinsaid opening whereby depression of the bumper at said opening rocks saidactuating arm to release the: latching arm to enable separation or theparts.

2. A floor tool for vacuum cleaners including a pair of longitudinallyelongate body parts, one of said parts being hollow, a spring-tensionedpivotedlatch in said one part having a latching arm and an actuatingarm, a keeper engaged by the latching armwhen the parts are in assembledrelation, a flexible bumper strip encircling the outside of the hollowbody part, said hollow body part having an opening therein adjacent saidactuating arm and directly in rear of said bumper strip, therebyenabling unlatching movement of said actuating arm by pressing againstsaid bumper strip;

3. A floor tool for vacuum cleaners comprising a two-part body dividedin a longitudinal plane, a pair of hollow bosses on the inside of onepart, screws inside the other body part adapted to project inside ofsaid bosses thereby to align the parts in assembled relation, are-'accessible from the outside to enable release 01' the latching arm toenable separation or' disassembly of the parts.

4. A floor tool for vacuum cleaners comprising a two-part body dividedin a longitudinal plane, a pair of hollow bosses on the inside of onepart, screws inside the other body part adapted to project inside ofsaid bosses thereby to align the parts in assembled relation, a redu'cedneck portion on each screw, pivotedlatches having latching armsengageable respectively with said reduced neck portions for retainin theparts together, an actuating arm on each latch, and apertures in saidbody adjacent the free ends of said actuating arms respectively toafford access thereto.

5. A floor tool for vacuum cleaners comprising a two-part body dividedin a longitudinal plane, a pair of hollow bosses on the inside of onepart, screws inside the other body part adapted to project inside ofsaid bosses thereby to align the parts in assembled relation, a reducedneck portion on each screw, pivoted latches having latching armsengageable respectively with said reduced neck portions for retainingthe parts together, an actuating arm on each latch, a bumper strip offlexible resilient material on the outside of said body, aperturesconcealed by said bumper strip and located in the regionof saidactuating arms respectively, and pressure pieces on said bumper stripadjacent said apertures respectively against. which pressure is imposedfor actuating said actuating arms.

6. A floor toolfor vacuum cleaners comprising an elongate suction nozzlebody formed of two parts mating in a longitudinal plane at least one ofsaid parts being hollow, a hollow boss on the inside of said one part, apin on the other body part adapted to project inside of said hollow bossfor aligning the body parts, a reduced neck portion providing a shoulderon said pin, a latch pivotally supported within said hollow body parthaving a latching arm engageable with. said shoulder for retainingthe'parts together, an ac- References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Owen et a1. Jan. 11, 1921Bronson et a1 Mar. 30, 1926 Cantell May 10, 1932 Martinet Dec. 26, 1939Ohls Apr. 15, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland July 28,1936 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1934 Switzerland May 16, 1944

